Envelope-sealing mechanism



W. H. WHEELER.

ENVELOPE SEALING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION man DEC.3,1920.

.Iatented Mar; 28, 1922.

LALQ85Q 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. H WHEELER.

ENVELOPE SEALING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.3,1920.

Patented Mar. 28, 1922?.v

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Parent WALTER H. WHEELER, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T TITNEY-BOWES EXPORT GOREORATION, 0F STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE.

nemesis.

ENVELOTE-SEALING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Email", 28, 1922..

Application filed December 3, 1920. Serial No. 427,993.

To all whom it may cmwev'n:

Be it known that T, WALTER H. WHEELER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at.

Stamford, in the county of F airfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelope- Sealing Mechanism; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention relates to mechanism for automatically sealing envelopes, such as shown and described in Arthur H. Pitneys Patent #7 35,814, dated August 11, 1903, and Woodward Patent #1274831, dated August 6, 1918. In said patented mechanisms the envelopes are automatically fed from a pile on a feed table to devices whereby the flaps can be opened, moistened and sealed, and then passed on through suitable stamping post marking, canceling and metering devices; such as shown in Pitneys Reissue Patent No. 14,916, dated July 13, 1920.

The principal object of the present inven tion is to ensure the proper folding of the flap along the top crease of the envelope regardless of the thickness of the amount of matter in the envelope so that the envelope shall be neatly and accurately sealed whether it contains more or less matter.

The invention therefore embodies novel means whereby the upper edge of the back side of the envelope (i. e. the part usually notched or cut away in the shape of a V under the flap) and the contents of the envelope may be pressed closely toward or against the front side of the envelope during the travel of the envelope toward the sealing devices, and while the flap is being guided from a horizontal position (at right angles to the back of the envelope) to a vertical position (parallel with the back) adjacent the sealing devices; which means ensures that the flap of the envelope shall be creased in its natural fold at the top of th envelope even if the envelope is filled with bulky contents which would otherwise hold the top of the envelope open and prevent the flap folding in the proper line, and thus'prevent secure sealing of the flap and impairing the appearance of the sealed envelope.

T Wlll explain the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, (in which I have shown my invention applied to the envelope sealing device as shown in the aforesaid Pitney patent) to enable others toadopt and use the invention; but I do not deem the invention limited to the particular embodiment thereof, and therefore refer to the appended claims for summaries of the invention for which protection is desired.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic top plan view of part of the Pitney patent envelope sealing mechanism with my improvements applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2'2, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a detail transverse section on the lin 3-3, Fig; 1.

In the construction shown the envelopes to be sealed are placed on a platform 1 parallel with a wall 6 which forms an abutment against which the envelopes are aligned preparatory to being fed to and past the moistening and sealing mechanisms. A set of rollers 7, 8, 9 and 10 are arranged in series on one side of a line extending parallel with the wall 6, which might be called the line of travel of the envelope through the machine. The rollers 7 and 8 are in rear of and above wall 6. The roller 8 is opposed by a coacting yielding separating roller 12, and the rollers 9 and 10 are opposed by coacting roll,- ers 13 and 14.

The separating roller 12 is shown as mounted on a pivoted arm 15, to which isadjustably attached a guide plate 29. Said separating roller is yieldingly pressed'toward the roller 8 by means of a spring 29 so that roller 12 can yield to permit letters varying in thickness to pass, but will nor mally be held in position to prevent more than one envelope at a time passing the feed roller 8. v

Between the feed rollers 7 and 8 and in rear of the wall 6 is a casting which has a water pocket 44 in its upper end, in which is placed a moistening device 50 which may be of any suitable kind. Water may be supplied to the pocket 44 as indicated, or by any patent, with the exception that preferably the rollers 9 and 10 are yieldably supported instead of the rollers 13 and 14; and preferably the roller 12 is mounted somewhat differently from what is shown in said patent, but no claim is made herein to the particular mounting of these rollers 9, 10 and 12.

I preferably provide a feed belt 8 which extends around the rollers 7 and 8 and the forward run of this belt overlies wall 6 and is adapted to contact with the back of the innermost envelope pressed against the wall 6 and part (i -6 of the fountain support 44 and this belt feeds the letters edgewise toward the separator roller 12.

The roller 13 is preferably several inches high, while the opposed roller 9 is preferably short and presses the lower part of the envelope against roller 13. The object of using the .short roller 9 is to prevent it possibly bending or distorting the natural fold of the flap of a filled envelope along the natural crease of the envelope.

Instead of having the wall 6 rise to the top of the rollers as in said Pitney patent, the pocket 44 is formed in a casting 44 whose front ortion is in line with and above and spaced from the top of the shallow guide wall 6. The said front portion of the casting also has an extension 6 on its right hand side which lies above the wall 6 and curves rearwardly above and partly around the roller 7 (see Fig. 1), and at the opposite side the front portion of the casting has an extension 6 which extends above the roller 8 and beyond the rollers 8 and 12 (Fig. 1) in line with the wall 6.

Attached to the fountain support is a guide plate 52 which is adapted to guide the horizontally extended flap of the envelopes fed forward by the belt-8 to and over the moistening device in the fountain pocket 44 substantially like the guide plate 52 in the Pitney patent.

Above the plate 52 is a plate 54 which covers the fountain and preferably is hinged to the fountain support so that it can be raised to permit the fountain to be filled. This plate 54 operates substantially like the right hand end of the plate 54 in said Pitney patent, but differs therefrom in construction. As shown plate 54 has pintles 54 which are hinged on a rod 5 engaging eyes 5 on or attached to the rear side of the fountain support. A helical spring 61 strung on the rod 5 tends to normally depress the plate 54 into operative position. The forward edge 54 of the plate 54 is preferably curled upward as shown so that the flap of the envelope (passing along the wall 6 and guided into horizontal position by the plate 52) will readily pass under the plate 54 and over the moistener in the fountain 44. v Mounted on the fountain support or cast- 1ng 44 to the lnside of the plate 54 is a plate .or otherwise attached to a bar 58 which may be adjustably fastened to the fountain support by any suitable means, as by slots and screws 58 so that the bar 58 and screws 58? and plate 58 can be accurately adjusted in position without affecting plate 54. The

plate 58 extends from a point adjacent the fountain beyond rollers 9 and 13 to a point adjacent the rollers 10 and 14, and the projecting portion 58 of plate 58 is curved downward, as indicated, so that it will fold the fla e of the envelope E (Fig. 3) against the body of the envelope after said flap has passed the moistener 50 and the presser bar 19 (hereinafter explained) so that the envelope will be'prope'rly sealed by the rollers 10 and 14. The part 58 is so curved as to cause the flap to properly fold down before the envelope reaches the rollers 10 and 14.

Mounted on the extension 6 of the fountain support adjacent and beneath the forward edge of the plate 58 and substantially in line with the face of the wall 6 is a presser finger 19 which can be-attached to the bar 6 by any suitable means, as by screws 19.

This'presser finger 19 is preferably made of a flat spring strip and extends in a vertical edgewise position, its extremity pressing lightl against the roller 13. This presser 19 is adapted to press the upper edge of the back side of the envelope (the part usually cut awa in the shape of a V under the flap) and t econtents of the envelope toward or against the front of the envelope, while the envelope is passing from between the rollers 8 and 12 to and between the rollers 9 and 13, and while the flap of the envelope is being turned down to sealing position by part 58 of plate 58.

The presser 19 might be made'integral with the part 6", but in order to effectively operate on envelopes containing varying thicknesses of matter, I prefer to make this presser separate so that its inner extremity can yield under pressure while the front, or address side of the envelope is supported, or held in a substantially unyielding vertical position by the separator guide 29 and roller 13.

This novel presser ensures that each envelope flap shall be creased along its natural fold. Ordinarily an envelope containing much matter would hold the top of the envelo'pe open and prevent proper folding down of the flap, but this presser 19 holds the back side of the envelope E (the part that is cut away in the shape of a V) with its contents, almost regardless of thickness, tightly up against the front side of the envelope during the time that the flap is passing from the moistener to the sealing rollers 10 and 14. The part 58 of plate 58 presses the envelope flap 6 completely down against the back of the envelope just before the envelope passes between the rollers 10 and 14.

The part 58 of the plate 58 presses against the flap until the front end of the envelope comes within the grasp of the rollers 10 and 14. The sealing operation is completed when the envelope has passed between the rollers 10 and 14;; and the sealed envelope is then discharged into the stacker (not shown), as descrlbed in the aforesaid patents and applications.

I claim:

1. In combination with envelope moistening and sealing mechanism; a presser finger projecting between the flap and front side of the envelope for holding the back side of the envelope against the front thereof during the folding of the flap, to insure folding of the flap along the original crease in the envelope, substantially as described.

2. In combination with an envelope sealer having a moistener, mechanism adapted to direct an envelope past said moistener, a: guide causing the gummed edge of the flap of said envelope to contact with said moistener, and means for folding said moistened flap against said envelope; a presser finger projecting between the flap and front side of the envelope for holding the back side and contents of the envelope against the front thereof during the folding of the flap, substantially as described.

3. In combination envelope sealing de vices; a guide wall; a pair of feed rollers disposed above the wall; a moistener supported above the rollers; and means in front of the moistener and above the rollers and parallel with the wall and cooperating with the wall to guide the envelopes.

4. In combination envelope moistening devices, sealing devices, a flap opener, a guide for directing the flap over the moistener, a sealing roller. and a curved plate for folding the flap before reaching said roller; with means projecting between the flap and front side of the envelope for pressing the back side and contents of the envelope against the face thereof during the folding down of the flap preparatory to sealing.

5. In an envelope sealing machine, a moistener; a flap opener; a guide for direct ing the flap over the moistener, sealing rollers; and a curved plate for folding the flap before reaching said rollers; with means projecting between the flap and front side of the envelope for pressing the back side and contents of the envelope against the face thereof during the folding down of the that flap preparatory to sealing thereof to insure folding of the flap along the natural crease of the envelope.

6. In an envelope sealing mechanism; the combination of a guide plate for openin the flap, a moistener, a plate arranged a ove the moistener, and a guide plate for directing the flaps to the moistener and guiding the flaps in contact with the moistener; with a flap folding plate connected with the fountain support independent of the other plates and adapted to fold the flapagainst the envelope after the same has been moistened, and means for sealing the folded flap.

7. In combination with envelope sealing mechanism as set forth in claim 6; means projecting between the flap and front side of the envelope for pressing the back side and contents ofthe envelope against the face thereof during the folding down of the flap preparatory to'sealing the envelope.

8. In an envelope sealing mechanism, the combination of means for feeding envelopes edgewlse; a moistener adapted to engage the gummed side of the flap of said envelope when the flap is substantially at right angles I to the body of said envelope; means for guiding the said envelope and flap past said moistener; means for folding said flap against the body of the envelope after same has passed the moistener; and a pair of rollers adapted to squeeze said flap against the body of the envelope; with means projecting between the flap and front side of the envelope for pressing the back side and contents of the envelope against the face thereof during the folding down of the flap, substantially asdescribed.

9. In envelope sealingj mechanism; the combination of a table; a wall extending along said table; mechanism for moving an envelope on edge along one side of said wall with its 'fiap overhanging said wall; a moistener at the other side of said wall; a guide for causing said flap to engage said moistener during its passage along said table; and means for folding the flap against the envelope after same has passed said moistener; with means projecting between the flap and front side of the envelope for pressing the back side and contents of the envelope against the face thereof during the folding down of the flap preparatory to sealing, substantially as described.

10. In envelope sealing mechanism; the combination of a. table; awall extending along said table; mechanism for moving an envelope on edge along said table at one side of said wall with its flap overhanging said wall; a moistener; a plate causing said flap to engage said moistener during the pas-- sage of the envelope along said wall; and means for folding the flap against the envelope after same has passed said moistener; with a presser finger projecting between the flap and front side of the envelope adapted to press the back side and contents f the envelope against the face thereof durlng the folding down of the flap preparatory to sealing, substantially as described.

11. In envelope sealing mechanism comprising a support for envelopes; a moistener; feeding mechanism adapted to have frictional contact with an envelope and move same past said moistener; means to prevent said feeding mechanism moving more than one envelope at a timepast said moistener; means for extending the flap of the envelope; means for presenting the flap to the moistener, and means for folding1 the flap against the envelope after same as passed said moistener.

12. In combination with an envelope sealing mechanism as set forth in claim 11; means for pressing the back side and contents of the envelope against the face thereof during the folding down of the flap preparatory to sealing.

13. In envelope sealing mechanism; the combination of a table; a wall extending along said table, feediing mechanism for causing an envelope to pass on edge along one side of said wall with its flap overhanging said wall; a moistener on the other side of said wall; a guide plate adapted to direct the flap to said moistener; a second plate for pressing the flap into contact with the moistener during the passage of the envelope thereby, and a third gluide plate adapted to fold the flap against t e envelope after same has passed said roller, substantially as described.

14:. In combination with envelope sealing mechanism as set forth in -claim 13; means projectingbetween the flap and front side of the envelope for pressing the envelope against the face thereof during the folding down of the flap preparatory to sealing, to insure folding of the flap in the natural crease of the envelope.

15. In an envelope sealing device; the combination of a moistener; a table adapted to hold a stack of envelopes; feed devices adapted to engagean envelope and move same along the table, a separator-roller adapted to prevent more than one envelope at a time from being advanced by said feed devices; means for holding the flap of the envelope against said moistener; and means for folding the flap against the envelope after same has passed said moistener; with means for pressing the back side and contents of the envelope against the face thereof durlng the folding down of the flap preparatory to sealing to insure folding of the flap 1n the natural crease of the envelope.

16. In combination; envelope sealing devices; a guide wall; envelope feeding devices disposed above the wall; a moistener above the feed devices; and means in front of the moistener and above the feed device cooperatin with the wall to guide the envelopes; w1th a flap opener; a flap guide for dlrectmg the flap over the moistener; and a curved plate for folding the flap before reaching the sealing v devices. 1

17. In combination with mechanism as set forth in claim 16; means projecting between the fiz'ap and front side of the envelope for pressing the back side and contents of. the envelope against the face thereof during the folding down of the flap preparatory to sealing thereof.

18.- In combination; envelope sealing dev ces; a guide wall; a pair of feed rollers disposed above the wall; a moistener supported above the rollers; and means in front of the moistener and above the rollers, parallel with the wall and cooperating therewith to guide the envelopes; with a flap opener; a flap guide for directing the flap over the moistener; and a curved plate for folding the flap before reaching the sealing device. r

19. In combination with mechanism as set forth in claim 18; means projecting between the flap and front side of the envelope for pressing the back side and contents of the envelope against the face thereof during the folding down of the flap preparatory to sealin thereof.

n testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I aflix my signature.

WALTER H WHEELER. 

